Social Media campaign launched by Greek council

Partying, binge-drinking and hazing are all stereotypes commonly heard when someone says they’re “going Greek,” but is that really what Greek life is all about?

Alejandro Vera Corzo, Vice President of Operations for the Interfraternity Council (IFC) at The University of Toledo, said that the general media sometimes has this one Greek stereotype where all fraternities and sororities do is party.

Vera Corzo is a senior triple majoring in professional sales, marketing and international business, and is a brother of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity.

Vera Corzo and the other members of the UT IFC have launched a campaign inspired by a similar campaign done one year ago on the Murray State University (MSU) campus in hopes to change how people perceive Greek life called Live Your Values.

The Live Your Values campaign kicked off on Aug. 21 with an introductory video uploaded to YouTube and shared via social media.

New videos will be uploaded every day at noon and 6 p.m. until Sept. 25.

Each video will feature past and present fraternity and sorority members explaining what their Greek values are and how they live by them every day.

Live Your Values was started on the MSU campus last year by Jason Hinson-Nolen who was the coordinator of Greek life at the time.

“It all started with an idea one morning while I was getting ready for work at MSU,” Hinson-Nolen said. “I had noticed that the organizations on campus were taking values-based actions, but sometimes the campus community wasn’t aware of all the good the Greeks were putting into the world.”

Hinson-Nolen said he thought a campaign that would allow the Greek community to tell their stories of how the values of their organization shape their lives would be powerful and inspiring.

Hinson-Nolen, a member of the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity, said that he tries to make every action and decision align with the core values and motto of his fraternity.

Alpha Sigma Phi’s values are silence, charity, purity, honor and patriotism and its motto is “the cause is hidden but the results well known.”

Hinson-Nolen is currently the director of campus initiatives for the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC). He also serves on the national board of advisors for the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity as well as the grand chapter advisor for the Gamma Chi chapter at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind.

“When we live our values and maintain our purpose, we’ve got a pretty good guide in decision-making,” Hinson-Nolen said.

Anthony Strother, vice president of recruitment for the IFC said that Live Your Values is not only a campaign, but a concept of the Greek community in general as well.

Strother said that Live Your Values is implemented in a lot of the recruitment material and that the IFC really tries to get new members to focus on the concept of living your values.

Strother, a brother of Phi Kappa Psi, said Phi Kappa Psi’s motto is “the great joy in serving others.”

“Service is not limited to only giving aid to those around you, but truly letting those around you influence growth in aspects of your life,” Strother said.

Phi Kappa Psi’s basic principles are honor, truth and service to others

“Phi Psi also holds integrity in a high esteem because as a fraternity man, you represent not only your chapter, but your university and the entire Greek community,” Strother said.

Strother said he focuses on integrity every day because it allows him to truly enhance the college experience and legacy for positive change.

Strother is a senior majoring in supply chain management.

As a brother of Pi Kappa Phi, Vera Corzo said leadership is his favorite Pi Kapp value.

Pi Kappa Phi lives by the ideals of the acronym C.L.A.S.S., which stands for Character, Leadership, Achievement, Scholarship and Service.

“For me, leadership is the impact that individuals can make among a group of people,” Vera Corzo said.

Vera Corzo said he uses leadership to strive to leave a legacy in his chapter and on the University of Toledo campus in any way possible.

Conor Welsch, Greek Development co-chair for the IFC said the Live Your Values campaign has been advertised via social media like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Welsch is a sophomore double majoring in kinesiology and exercise science and is also a brother of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity.

Vera Corzo said that if the campaign is successful on campus, the NIC will move forward in taking the campaign to a national level.

“I’m very excited to see how the Live Your Values campaign goes for the University of Toledo as we begin looking at the next steps in seeing the national movement,” Hinson-Nolen said.

Timmy Schlacter, Greek Development co-chair for the IFC, said that although the campaign will last a month he hopes there will be a lasting effect.

“The way I see it, we’re not changing anything, it’s more like a re-centering of organizations so that they’re more values based,” Schlacter said.

Schlacter is a sophomore majoring in nursing and is also a brother of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity.

Follow the campaign on twitter at: @LiveYourValuesT

Watch the Campaign videos at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkuKCT2ma_SMUtoQ0dIe5Ww

Like the campaign on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Live-Your-Values-UT/928068197219751